Banyana star’s cup truly runneth over
Thembi also up for CAF Women’s Player of the Year
This has been an incredible year for Banyana Banyana star Thembi Kgatlana.
The 21-year-old’s cabinet is filling up.
Kgatlana was named Player of the Tournament at the Cosafa Women’s Cup, which Banyana Banyana won in September.
She also walked away with the USSA Football Women’s best player and top goalscorer, University of Western Cape’s (UWC’s) Sportswoman of the Year and top scorer awards at her club, UWC Ladies.
To top that, Kgatlana is a candidate for the CAF Women’s Player of the Year. trophy
Kgatlana, who is from Mohlakeng in the West Rand, has been nominated alongside Nigerian superstar Asisat Oshoala and Cameroon’s Gabrielle Onguene.
“I was just studying when I saw on Twitter I have been nominated. It’s something I didn’t expect,” Kgatlana, who is studying tourism at UWC, told Sowetan yesterday.
“I had a very good year, one of the best years I’ve had in football. I hope that all my awards and nominations will motivate the girls to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from [but], you can be anything you want in life.”
She started playing football at the age of eight. Nicknamed “Pikinini”, she’s destined for the top leagues abroad.
“I don’t want to go overseas with a burden on my shoulders. Balancing school and football is quite difficult.”
Kgatlana is equally delighted that Banyana have also been nominated for CAF National Women’s Team of the Year. “It feels amazing and I’m not surprised Banyana are nominated as well, because we won the Cosafa Cup.
“I hope we can qualify for the [2019] AWC [Women’s Africa Cup of Nations] and the World Cup [the same year], because Banyana have never been to the World Cup. It will be a dream come true,” Kgatlana added.
The CAF awards will be held in Accra, Ghana on January 4. Wednesday November 29 2017